Chapter 353: Playing a Good Guard

Chapter 353: Chapter 353: Playing a Good Guard

This man was Li Dang, the son of Yilode’s eldest son. It was his father, Yilode’s firstborn, who had come up with the idea for the marriage alliance with the Hanmo Clan, wedding Li Haiqin to Jisierk.

Li Dang was the eldest grandson of the Lindi Clan and the first in line to inherit the position of Patriarch.

Because the Golden Clans were all Cultivation Clans, their members lived far longer than ordinary people. As such, the title of Patriarch was usually passed down across a generation, from grandfather to grandson.

Of course, he was merely the first in line to inherit; it didn’t guarantee that the future position of Patriarch would be his.

After all, the peoples of the Grassland believed in martial might and the law of the jungle. There was only one position of Patriarch, and Patriarch Yilode had over a dozen legitimate grandsons.

Among Yilode’s grandchildren, Li Haiqin was undoubtedly the most favored.

And because she was so deeply cherished by Yilode, her male cousins had flattered her since they were children.

Ultimately, this flattery was only due to her favored status with Yilode. Almost no one was genuinely kind to her.

Now, in two months, Li Haiqin was to be married off to the Hanmo Clan.

And Li Dang was showing his true colors.

He wasn’t deliberately trying to make things difficult for Li Haiqin, but merely venting his dissatisfaction. ’Why should all of us older brothers have to revolve around her, when we’re all legitimate grandchildren of the Patriarch?’

Chu Fan’s words gave Li Dang the outlet he needed. He immediately lashed out with the whip in his hand, aiming straight for Chu Fan’s face.

A mere Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Chu Fan could kill him eight times over with a single breath.

Chu Fan could have easily dodged the whip. If he’d wanted to, he could have waved a hand before it struck and sent Li Dang flying dozens of miles away.

But Chu Fan stood his ground, deliberately allowing the whip to strike him squarely across the face.

’Right now, I’m playing the part of Huo Er, one of Li Haiqin’s Guards. Li Dang is technically one of my masters, so if I fight back, it’s insubordination. For the sake of my plan, it’s best not to move and just let him hit me.’

Did it hurt?

Even if Li Dang had struck with all his might, he couldn’t have broken through Chu Fan’s Protective Gang Qi. The blow felt like less than a tickle.

In fact, Chu Fan was so concerned that the rebound from his Protective Gang Qi might kill Li Dang that he had to deliberately retract it.

"Stop!" Li Haiqin cried out as she came to her senses, but she was too late.

Hearing the sharp CRACK of the whip striking Chu Fan’s face, Li Haiqin’s expression turned livid.

"Li Dang, you will pay a price for that whip. Mark my words!"

Li Haiqin was truly enraged. Not only was a blow to her Guard’s face the same as a blow to her own, but Huo Er was her savior. Without him, she would have either died on the Grassland or been captured by Moqish’s men.

If she had been captured by Moqish’s people, the rest of her life would have been a living hell.

Moqish certainly wouldn’t have let her live out in the open. She would have become his plaything, a toy to be humiliated at his whim, forced to live in the shadows.

Therefore, in Li Haiqin’s heart, Huo Er was no longer just her Guard. He was her benefactor, her friend.

Yet Li Dang had actually dared to strike Huo Er. How could Li Haiqin not be furious?

However, she also knew she was no match for Li Dang. This matter would have to be handled by her grandfather.

Li Haiqin grabbed Chu Fan’s wrist and tried to force her way past Li Dang, but he blocked their path once again.

"Did I say you could leave? Your Guard was insolent to me. Make him kneel and apologize!"

A sharp glint flashed in Li Haiqin’s eyes. She stared at Li Dang and asked, "You really won’t let us pass?"

"Make him kneel and apologize!" Li Dang sneered.

Li Haiqin shook her head, then turned to Chu Fan. "I order you to throw him out. Just make sure not to injure him. I’ll report him to Grandfather and let him handle it."

"Alright!" Chu Fan grinned.

Although Chu Fan was still injured, Li Haiqin knew that he was, after all, in the Integration Realm. Facing a mere Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, he could send Li Dang flying with a casual flick of his hand.

And that was indeed the case. Now that he had Li Haiqin’s order, what reason did Chu Fan have to hold back?

With a gentle flick of his hand, Li Dang was sent flying backward uncontrollably, slamming into a nearby wall.

"Li Haiqin, I won’t let you get away with this!" Li Dang bellowed from behind them as he watched Li Haiqin and Chu Fan walk into the main residence.

Chu Fan knew he had now made a bitter enemy of Li Dang.

Li Dang wouldn’t dare to move against Li Haiqin openly, but he would have no such reservations when it came to her Guard.

’This might be a good opportunity,’ Chu Fan thought to himself.

Having heard that Li Haiqin had returned and that her retinue had suffered heavy losses, Yilode came to wait for them outside the main hall.

His expression changed, especially when he saw the dark red bloodstains seeping through the bandages wrapped around Chu Fan, clearly indicating fresh wounds.

"My dear Haiqin, what in the world happened?"

"Grandfather, it was Moqish. One night, half a month ago, he sent four Void Realm experts and nine Integration Realm experts to ambush us..."

Li Haiqin stood there in the courtyard and began to recount her story through sobs for all to hear.

After listening to her account, Yilode, in a fit of rage, smashed the teapot in his hand onto the ground.

"This is outrageous! Utterly outrageous!"

After a long moment, he suppressed his anger and walked over to Chu Fan. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he gazed at him with a kind and benevolent expression.

"You... have done very well. Our Lindi Clan never mistreats those who have rendered meritorious service, and we certainly will not mistreat you."

He then turned to the steward waiting at his side. "Andrew, go fetch the Blood Lotus Pill from my personal collection. Also, bring ten thousand taels in silver banknotes, and the deed to that courtyard in the east of the city—the one with the rockery and fish pond."

Andrew left and quickly returned with the items Yilode had requested.

Yilode bestowed all of these items upon Chu Fan.

After a round of polite refusals, Chu Fan accepted only the Blood Lotus Pill and the silver banknotes. He did not take the deed to the house.

His reasoning was that as Princess Li Haiqin’s Guard, he should remain by her side at all times. Besides, in two months, Li Haiqin would be married into the Hanmo Clan, so a house would be of no use to him.

After learning the truth, Yilode told Li Haiqin and Chu Fan to go and get some proper rest.

After they left, Yilode personally wrote two letters and a memorial, dispatching someone to deliver them immediately.

One of the two letters was sent to the Hanmo Clan, informing them of the ambush Li Haiqin had suffered on her return journey. How the Hanmo Clan would respond to this letter would be a test, in Yilode’s eyes.

The other letter was for the Cage Race. In it, he laid out the details of the ambush and concluded by asking Enke if the Cage Race was prepared to go to war with the Lindi Clan.

The memorial, of course, was for the Khan King, Niu Guli. If the Cage Race couldn’t give the Hanmo Clan a satisfactory explanation, the matter would inevitably be brought before the Khan King’s throne. This was a preemptive measure.

In terms of actual losses, the Cage Race had suffered more than the Lindi Clan. After all, they had lost four Late Stage Void Realm Martial Artists.

Even for a Golden Clan, Void Realm Martial Artists were a rare commodity.

The resources required to cultivate a single Void Realm Martial Artist were immense.

But regardless of which side’s losses were greater, the Cage Race was not in the right. This time, they had truly gone too far.

All-out war was impossible, but if Yilode didn’t take a huge chunk out of the Cage Race for this, he would be failing all the years he had spent in the Patriarch’s seat.